Motor-vehicle spring



W. M. PETTY. MOTOR vEHlCLE SPRING.

APPLICATIONvFlLED SEPT.4,1919.

' Patented May 10, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

pwwfk.

W. M. PETTY.

MOTOR VEHICLE SPRING.

APPLicATIoN FILED sEPT.4,191V9.

Patented May 10, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A^ uNl'rsli STATES wnnrnalnfrn'rrrorwABAsH, IND'IANanssrGNoB To SERVICE Moron PATENT; oFFlcE.

confirma or wABAsir, 1NnrANA, AcoRroRATIoN.

ns'rmeog To all whom imag/camerati Beit lknown that I, WALTER IM; PETTY, a citizenof the, United States, and residing at Wabash, countyfof ,Wabash, and State1 'of Indiana, have invented certain new and usel ful Improvements in MotorfVehicle Springs', o f which the following is aspecifcation.

My invention relates in'general to springs for motorvehicles as trucks and the like, and

` the C1 1p`S would obviously be multipliedA throughout thef'spring to an extentdependl ingv upon ,the number of rleaves employed.V ,35

`- andutilityof `such a drive is yvery materially has reference more'particularly to the Hotchkiss drive type of truck, ythe principal` object being to provide a means capable of transmittingtractive thrust from the vaxlef directly to the main leaf of thespring, and

thence'to the chassisbf thetruck during z truck movement. It has heretofore beenl a customary practiceto organize the laminas of 'afspring ofthisltype sol thatthe central bodyportions thereof are detachab'ly joined together, as for example in acup center type of spring the leaves are each formed on oneV faeewith a bossfand'onthe other face with a corresponding cup wherebyy thefboss on the one leaf ts into the cup ofthe'next leaf throughout thefserieslcompo'sing the spring. a While a coupling.meansY wasfprovided, yet

the tractive effort 'or thrust' vwas transmitted through, all fof "the leaves, tof themain leaf. In other words the other leaves'were relied uponfas 'apart ofthe drive; such acase,

however, any variation that mightr eXistat This yvariation -n theaggregatehas been found to be of such a material character as to produce relative'leaf slippage `or spring deflection,-4 which in, turn resulted in the spring clips Vworkingloose and the placing of the` center bolt Yunder lateral stresses tending to' bre`ak'i t.' j f a vI nlproviding the4 thrust means previously referred'to as being an object of the inven# tion, it is'my chief aim in transmitting the drive from the axle to the main leaf to rel" lieve the other leaves" of such thrust, or 'of transmitting such thrust, and thus eliminating lthe 'disadvantages above setforth. Differently stated',i the invention contemplates the provision of a thrusttransmission in ea'ns designed more especially for interposition in a Hotchkiss "drive `whereby the'` efficiency increased.' Another object of vthe `invention isto produceaameansofthis sort` capable of I Specification of Letters Patent.

Moron-variiert: spuma.

Patented May 10,119,211;`

applicati@ niedsept'emner 4, 1919.- serialnafzi'o's.

i applica'tionto the usual'spring construction,

said means inthe present instance taking the y form of'a'housingl for the central body po-r'- tion. of the spring and comprising coperat` ing locked members, one of which is asso`` elated with the main leaf and the other with the axle or other tractive member.y

The invention .further contemplates, the

i provision of certain novel details of construction, combination and arrangement Vof the various parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and pointed yout inthe'clailns. A

a These, together with suchfother objects and advantages as may be hereinafterV set forth, or as are incident to my invention, I attain. by meansof a preferred 'construction panying drawings,` wherein :A

illustrated in preferredform in tl 1eacco`1n Figure l'i's'ayiew fin' side'elevation` of a spring and axle ito which the housing is shown applied, the spring being shown underload; f

Figs; 2 and y3 representfcrosssectional spring of Fig. 1"; and,

Figs. 4, 5vr and` areperspective views of y l f viewsy taken through the housing, arle and,

the pressure blockjupperaxle pador thrust4 f block',` and the lowerfaxlefpad or se at,'re

spectively.

`Referring toV the drawings, thereference character A denotes the vehicle spring provided with spring clips 6 and whose main, f

leaf 7 is terminally formedA with a yfront eye 8 and arear eye.9,bothfV of whichmay be connected to theframe of the chassis (not shown) .by any suitableattaching means, as. by the eye bolts 10 which are' shown bushed at 13., The `base, leaf'is designated bythe l v slwill'fbeapparentin the present instance, is of thecup center type,

sired, a tiel bolt'l'` may be provided to eX- c tend inA thewertical direction through theleaves and the top plate 1 8, said bolt beingy said plate: This vplate'18 is similarlyf'for'med with fa boss 18 which'fits snugly into'the cup provided in the upper faceof the main 'l Secured in place hymns cubanas-,aaa

17, Vthe nut le'ngaging the'appgr face Op s Y with said leaf so as to"V transmitthereto the drive thrust emanating from the axleQtB,

which thrust is carried the vertical direction and then `horizontally throughs-the in;`

of the parts `of thev spring Y. therebetween. This connection is maintained strumentality housifngunow-to bej described.

The housing `proper consists` of a` pressure block C, and an upper'axlepad'or thrust block D havingits main bodyportion 19 in j terposed between. thej'aixle 15' [and the lower spring leaf 11, and these parts coperate withl thelower axle padE which serves asa seat forthe axle, the parts beingl held in fixed relationby means ofthe two' U-bolts Fand nuts 20. The curved portions21 offthebolts are engagedin Varcuate., seats 2 2 depressed m the'anged portions 23 ofthe pressure block C, and their ends "are passedthrough'k boltl holes 2l" formed in themarginal portions 25 ofthe pad ,Ei Outwardly projecting, arcuate seats 26 areprovided to engage intermediate portions ofbothbolts. The op'p'osed if faces Aof the thrust block D and axle pad E are'constructed so as to receive between them the axle B and are respectively formed with l Vsideflanges 27 and"28jj designed to grip thev sides .of the axle whereby-to prevent lateral displacement of vthe 'sama The .pressure block` hasl its web 29 .apertured at v30 to re oeive thevnut 16 andthisfweb Vhas its ends formed to provide lianges 311and 32 which V areturned downwardly to engage the endsuof y t the top plate 18. Similarly the nut 1,7vis A received within an aperture 33 formed in the body portion 19 ofthepressure block D, the

' upper faceof .such body lportion having a curvature corresponding with thatlofY the.

lowerfspring'leaf so as to serve as a seat for the "same when the parts are coupled together by they Ur-loolts.V y ,Y i f Y One fof the salientfeatures of the invention resides in the rigid connection whichis provided betweenthe thrust block4 and :thepres1 v 45 sure block, whereby the drive thrust is'trans'- gmitted vertically and then horizontally to the main le-af so as torelieve the other leaves i 1'1-12 and the bolt liagainst the, action of such thrust, and thereby eliminate vsli] opa e and the disadvantages resulting therefrom. This connection,asshown, takes the form of theside members 34 which extend down-` `wardly kat opposite sides of the spring asintegral extensions of the web 29 of the pressure block. C, and terminate in end portions 35 yeach of which is removably seated in fa groove or slot 36 formed by the furcations or.

arms 37. Theselatter ,arein turn extended integrally from side margins'ofthe body '60 site sides :of the spring, whereby their con`r portion 19 ofthe pressure block D, atoppofronting inner .faces-engage the outer parallel side'f-a'ces of said end portions 35 and thereby transmit the thrust to the pressure block by means of such engagement.

1,377,430 Y s v by means of the Ufbolts F, the latter also servingA to lsecurethe other parts in their operative relation. l

In View -ofgthe fact that'the' other leaves 11" and 12 aref relieved fromtransmitting thrustitfOllOWsthat thebolt 15 als'has no such Afunction, consequently Vwithkthe parts positioned and maintained as'described it is deemed obvious that should' the bolt break,

by reason'of any inherent defect, or other s wise, such failurewould nt in'any`l way 'ef-, V

fect the functioninglor the mechanical `irl-:

tegrity of eitherthe housing or spring'. vThe entire deviceis simple and effective, and may be readily' applied to standardV springs in trucks of theHotchkissdrive type. V "Other in this art.

l claim:

advantages 'will'be apparent to those skilled l n v9.0

1. The combinationwah a' frime, mais,

and aleaved 'spring whose `mainf leaf isl mentionedpart, and means forsecuringthe housing tothe axlesaid parts `coac ting to directly Ytranf'srnit'ft'ractive thrust fromy said axle to said mainleaf and said frame.

y2. In f'a structure of the Ycharacter 'de-` scribed, the c mbination `withff frame', ank axle, and a leaveddrive springwhosemain leaf is ladapted tov transmit traictive thrust to saidframe, of a top plate VdisposedV cen` trally upon the main leaf andlforined with a boss seatedfin said main leaf, a pressure block seated on'said top plate and termi' nally flanged to engage it, 'a thrustblock interposed between the axlel andthe spring and having a tongue and Vgroove'connection with the pressure block at each sideof the spring whereby said blocks transmitthrust terminally associated with the frame, :of a plate secured to 'said main leaf,a hoii'sing` for the spring `comprisingyfa part enga'gingV said main leaf fand said plate-fat theends" thereof and Vembracing the sides of said spring, and another partengaging the axle and rtelescopically, engagedwith said `first' 1700" i seated ,in said main` leaf, a. pressure block seated on said topplate; and terminallyianged to engage it,"a thrust blockinter;

` posed between the axleV4 and the spring and Y jecting side Walls provided with open-ended `slots, a pressure block disposed above said" having a tongue and groove. connectionwith the pressure block at each side ofthe spring j whereby said blocks transmit thrust from the axle to the top plate and main leaf, a seating block for the axle, and U-bolts connecting said blocks and disposedat each side, of

said tongue and groove connection and said axle, substantially as described;

` 4. In a structure of the' character described, the combination of a spring comprsing a plurality of superposed leaves, Aan axle, a thrust'block interposed between said axle and said springhaving-upwardly prospring and having downwardly projecting side members engaging said slots at the side of said spring, means for transmitting thrust from said pressure block to the upn nection between said blocks at the sidesv of per leaf of. said'` spring, and means for clamping said blocks and spring together.

5. Ina structure yof the character described,l the combinationof a spring com'r prising superposedleaves,.a plate disposed above the upper leaf, a pressure block overlying said plate and' provided with'flanges engaging the ends of said plate, a thrust block beneath said spring, a telescopiccon- )the spring, means for, clamping said blocks together.,y j n j y26; In a structure "of the character described, 'the combination of a spring comprising a plurality of superposed leaves, a

block disposed beneath the lower leaf and having upwardly projecting side members,

r a block disposed abovethe upper leafvandy having downwardly `projecting side members engaged with the side members of the lower block at the sides of thespring, thrust so I' transmitting connections between ,said up-4 per block and upperleaf of said spring, j

and means for drawing said blocks togethery to clamp theleaves of said spring therebet tween. j v

7. In' a` structure o-f the 'character de-k scribed, the combination cfa spring comprising a plurality of superposed leaves, a n

block disposed beneath the lower leaf and having upwardly projecting side members, 4a block disposedabove the upper leaf hav-` ling downwardly projecting flanges engag-` yWALTERy PETTY. f 

